Opiate/Opioid Withdrawal symptoms

What are the symptoms of opiate or opioid withdrawal?

If so, you are more than familiar with the sheer brutality of opiate /
opioid withdrawal symptoms. You know how they mercilessly attack you physically,
mentally and emotionally.

And if you are one of the very few who made it all the way through, you
learned how strong you have to be to withstand the round-the-clock sleepless
days and nights of physical and emotional misery, followed by weeks and
even months of continuing battle against the old cravings.

For everyone else, there are countless lists of side effects to be found
on the internet. A simple web search for “opioid withdrawal symptoms”
turns up dozens of pages that list all sorts of unpleasant aches, pains,
sensations and mood changes. But they don’t come even close to the
actual thing.

Symptoms of withdrawal from opioids include, but are not limited to:

Early symptoms

Altered perception of temperature (hot/cold flashes, hot/cold sweats)

Agitation, irritability

Anxiety

Dehydration

Fatigue

Low energy

Muscle aches

Mental fog/confusion/lack of motivation

Increased tearing

Insomnia

Restless legs

Runny nose

Sweating

Yawning

Skin-crawling

Change in libido (abnormally high or low)

Later symptoms

Abdominal cramps

Diarrhea

Dilated pupils

Goose bumps

Nausea

Sneezing

Vomiting

What these lists don’t tell you is how devastating these symptoms
are, day in and day out, without any letup. They don’t reveal the
truly immense, non-stop suffering and agony. But they do hint at the reasons
so few people manage to endure opiate or opioid withdrawal to a successful
conclusion.

There is hope for a new life.Call to speak to one of our experienced &
caring detox advisors today!
(855) 464-8550

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome

Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS) is a frequently unexpected and surprising
condition that can follow successful withdrawal from drugs and alcohol.
And it occurs most frequently among people with long-term opioid use.

PAWS is actually an assortment of mental, emotional and physical symptoms
that are different for each person, and depend to some degree on the length
of time and the size (the daily drug consumption) of their addiction.

PAWS can last for weeks and even months, and is the prime reason that the
recovery success is directly related to the length of time in rehab, as
well as the individual’s dedication to succeed.

Opiates vs opioids

Let’s get our terminology straight:

Opiates is an older term for the drugs like morphine, codeine, thebaine
and heroin that are derived directly from the opium poppy. Opioids was
the word coined more recently to cover drugs that are partially or fully
synthetic versions of opiates. These include dozens of prescription painkillers
like oxycodone, hydrocodone, hydromorphone and fentanyl and almost all
the brand names you can think of.

Today, the word “opioids” is broadly used to cover both the
derived and synthetic drugs.

Physical dependence vs addiction

Opioid Dependence

A physical dependence on opioids is not addiction. But opioid addiction
definitely includes physical dependence.

Dependence is what happens when the body adapts to the presence of any
substance that can cause dependence – in our case, opioids. The
body now relies on that substance being there at a certain level, so it
can function “normally.”

For example, someone who has been taking prescription narcotic painkillers
for some time can “accustom” their body to the presence of
the opioids. If the presence of that substance falls below that level,
for whatever reason, the body can generate various side effects. They
may experience withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop taking the drug,
or even just take a little less of it each day.

People can become physically dependent when they take opioid painkillers
for an extended period of time. These people don’t need to go to
rehab for further treatment because they aren’t addicted. They need
treatment only to deal with the body’s dependence.

Opioid Addiction

Opioid addiction usually follows a period of physical dependence, whether
short or long. Addicts are compelled to continue consuming narcotics because
of the way the drug makes them feel, not just because they fear the pain
of withdrawal.

Also, by definition, addiction is marked by risky behavior. It includes
the overwhelming psychological compulsion to obtain the drug
in spite of unhealthy outcomes. This includes reckless danger to oneself and often to others, criminal
behavior, and surrendering to the perceived inevitability of the loss
of one’s former life – one’s possessions, relationships
and career, one’s hopes and dreams, one’s entire future.

Opioid-addicted people almost always need a thorough rehab program after
their medical detox. The phenomenon called PAWS (see above) and all sorts
of psychological and life-related aspects have to be dealt with. Without
such treatment, studies show that some 95 percent of them will soon be
back on the opioids.

How Novus controls opioid withdrawal symptoms

At Novus Medical Detox Center, patients are carefully brought through their
opioid detox with a minimum of aches, pains, anxiety and distress.

In fact, most Novus patients are amazed at how much easier their opioid
detox was than they thought it would be.

We accomplish the miracle of greatly reducing the symptoms of opioid withdrawal
by using our scientifically developed and proprietary medical detox protocols.
(Protocols are the official procedures for doing something.)

Our medical opioid detox protocols include close attention to:

Your Metabolism

Everyone has a unique metabolism and metabolic needs. Novus precisely tailors
every detox program to match these needs for each patient. At Novus, there’s
no “one-size-fits-all” opioid detox program.

Your Hydration

Dehydration is a common danger associated with drug and alcohol dependencies,
and especially during opioid withdrawal. Novus’ medical detox protocols
make sure that every patient is properly hydrated throughout their program.

Your Nutrition

Another common problem of dependence and addiction is malnourishment. Novus
makes sure that each patient’s nutritional needs are met, so they
feel stronger and healthier and more able to deal with any stress associated
with their withdrawal.

Use of Buprenorphine

Novus has developed unique opioid detox protocols centered around their
advanced understanding of the drug buprenorphine. These protocols stabilize
the opioid withdrawal process and eliminate most or all of the cravings
and discomfort.

We develop an individualized medical detox program specifically for each
of our patients, which means no recovery will look the same. Our delicious
food, nutritional IVs and supplements, and specialized detox protocols
are all designed to quicken the healing process. We understand that various
addictions present a number of issues for the human body, so we create
our IVs and diets to fit the needs of specific withdrawal symptoms.

Our process is all about you, which is why we have private and shared rooms
available for our residents. Each room is outfitted with a TV, telephone,
and access to the internet. We also provide educational classes that will
show you how the drug or alcohol of your choice affects your body. We
believe that to effectively fight off your withdrawal symptoms, it is
important to know what you are fighting against and what to be prepared for.

The information on this website is for general information purposes only.
Nothing on this site should be taken as medical advice for any individual
case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt
or viewing does not constitute, a doctor-patient relationship.